The Black Bass 83 



A large bridge spans the Saginaw River 

 in Michigan between Bay City and West 

 Bay City. Upon this structure in the 

 evenings of the black-bass season may be 

 seen half a hundred anglers, all of them 

 casting artificial flies and live bait for the 

 small-mouth black bass that frequent this 

 locality, specimens ranging in weight from 

 one pound up to four pounds. It is here 

 that the water is at all times muddy, and 

 consequently very heavy and dark. At 

 least such were the conditions at the time 

 I have reference to, and here the gamy 

 bass rose freely to the fly, creels of ten 

 and fifteen handsome fish in an evening 

 being not uncommon to the more skilful 

 rodmen. The best play was to be had 

 between five and eight o'clock. 



The river at the time I write of was 

 lined with booms of green pine, great 

 piles of milled lumber stretched away on 

 both banks as far as the eye could see, 

 and immense rafts of newly cut pine 

 logs were constantly passing to and from 



